The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for processing data in a memory device, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for detecting a free page of a memory device, and a method and apparatus for decoding an error correction code by using the method and apparatus for detecting a free page.
Generally, in a non-volatile memory device, a cell having a recorded ‘1’, as a default status can be changed to a cell having a recorded ‘0’ via a writing operation, but a cell having written ‘0’ cannot be changed to a cell having written ‘1’ via a writing operation. Accordingly, when data is written in a non-volatile memory device, a deleting operation is performed such that all bits in a block are reset, including the bits to write the data to have a recorded ‘1’. Areas that are simultaneously deleted via one deleting operation correspond to a block, and pages in a deleted block are called free pages.
Accordingly, a method of effectively determining whether a page read from a memory is a free page would be helpful for memory device operation.